Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The PY is needed...Mr. Chairman, I missed the question. I wasn't paying attention.

Shame, shame.

Mr. Koe, repeat the question please, for the Minister.

I'll go very slowly. On page 16, under accommodation services, there is an item to provide funding and one person year to implement the revised Yellowknife office plan, and this person year is going to cost $114,000. My concern is that the size of the Department of Public Works and Services, who have building experts, architects and inspectors and so forth, why is it necessary to have a designated individual to implement a Yellowknife office plan, and why is an additional PY and dollars required?

Thank you. The honourable Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have cut this department right to the bone. We have cut 67 PYs and, I believe, $27 million out of this department in the last couple of years. We have worked with all the client departments, and it affects the majority of the client departments in Yellowknife on this new office plan. We worked with SCOF to change the office plan. I think I'm on phase 10 or something of this office plan, reworking it. We have put a lot of work into it. So we have to establish a person year for a three-year term, and it started in April 1994. It's to be sunsetted on March 31, 1997, and it's to manage projects proposed in the office plan; projects to be undertaken in the revised Yellowknife office plan.

There are approximately 25 separate projects included in the office plan, of various sizes, to renovate offices, move staff, new equipment and furniture and re-establish communication networks. Each of these projects requires consultation with the departments and staff involved, hiring of consultants to program, plan and design the final layouts, trade contracts and put them in place, and to ensure the clients are satisfied with the final products.

Additionally, there is an ongoing role to review the effects of the current fiscal year changes in allocation with the GNWT inventory of space, analyze the effects of new changes in projects and those effects in future year plans. Therefore, one project officer is required to manage these projects. Got lots of work.

Accommodation services. The honourable Member for Inuvik, Mr. Koe.

The individual has been hired for three years; it is a three-year term. There must be a significant budget and plan involved. What is the magnitude of the plan, in terms of dollars, for the three years?

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and

Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is lots of money. I don't know the exact figure. It is in the millions of dollars. But, it also saves the government quite a bit of money every year. I don't have that information with me here. This has been a plan that I've been back and forth to FMB with. I've been to SCOF with it and it has been approved by all the powers that be. It has been adapted and put into place. It is also the same office plan that was approved by this Legislative Assembly. I just don't have the information with me. Thank you.

Thank you. Accommodation services. The honourable Member for Inuvik.

Since I'm not a Member of SCOF, I didn't have access to that briefing. Can I get a package of information as to the plan, dollars involved and the individuals involved? The other comment I want to make is there may be a conspiracy here because of all the reorganization we are doing to keep these people working. Every time you reorganize, amalgamate and change offices, you change office design. Is all this reorganization in the plan or are they new, additional projects to the plan?

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The office plan is because of decentralization and amalgamation of the departments. It didn't take into account, I believe, Housing and Social Services as of yet. But, you must remember that this is a cost-saving measure and it is going to save this government money. What we are doing is dropping a lot of our old leases and going into our old buildings, making better use of space, getting departments together and we're able to get some good prices on leases too, is my understanding.

I believe Mr. Pollard has some more information on the office plan, and I would be pleased to prepare a full briefing for the Member on the Yellowknife office plan. I will make an appointment for him with my deputy. Thank you.

Thank you, very much. Accommodation services. Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to assure the Member that I wouldn't be asking for this PY if I didn't need it. I'm known for cutting PYs, not asking for them. I have cut 67 and that is more than any other department cut in this government. If I didn't need this person, I wouldn't ask you for it. Thanks.

Thank you. I have Mr. Pollard and Mr. Gargan. Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Chairman, the cost benefit analysis on this particular project indicates that the payback period on the capital expenditures will be three and a half years. Mr. Chairman, in 1993-94, there was $82,000 in capital and in 1994-95, $114,000 in O and M and $1.685 million in capital for a total of $1.799 million. In 1995-96, there will be a reduction in O and M of $279,691 and a capital expenditure of $300,000, for a net of $20,309. In 1996-97, there will be a further reduction in O and M of $50,292, and capital spending of $300,000 for a net of $249,708. In 1997-98, there will be $145,408 in savings in O and M, capital expenditures of $50,000 and $95,408 is the residual.

The accumulated effect over those years would be a savings in O and M of $361,391, a capital expenditure of $2.417 million, for a net of $2,055,609. And, there is one PY for a three-year term commencing April 1994 and sunsetting on March 31, 1997. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to know something about the position here in Yellowknife. Is this a reflection of the political reality in the works right now? What I'm referring to, Mr. Chairman, is I don't know whether there is going to be an increase in government programs in Yellowknife. I would think that it will start to be reduced, so that eventually you will have people in Iqaluit, Rankin or Cambridge Bay, or wherever the capital is going to be.

I thought the person would be in the eastern Arctic, as opposed to Yellowknife, because I would think that is where the PY should be. I may be wrong. I'm not on SCOF, but I just wanted to know if the department had that in mind when they were planning all these nice renovations and such.

Thank you. People in Iqaluit, Rankin or Cambridge Bay, Mr. Minister.